Puppet head with movable eyes and lip and remote hand controls therefor

ABSTRACT

A puppet head or the like provided with simulated eyeballs and a simulated lip, both the eyeballs and the lip being pivotally mounted within the head of the puppet, and a pair of sheathed wires connected to the pivotally mounted eyeballs and lip and extending beyond the puppet head for remote operation thereof for movement of the eyes and lip.

United States Patent 1191 Miki 1451 July s, 1975 [5 1 PUPPET HEAD WITHMOVABLE EYES AND 2,1 14,351 4/1938 McCown 46/126 AND REMOTE HAND(IONTROLS 2,466,214 4/1949 Deaton 46/126 X THEREFOR 3,200,537 8/1965Glass et a1. 46/118 3,212,213 10/1965 Perego 46/154 X [75] Inventor;Tokuhilo Miki, Osaka Japan 3,315,406 4/1967 Ryan .1 46/118 [73]Assignee: Perfect Liberty, Japan FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 8l8,6738/1959 United Kingdom 46/126 [221 329.130 9/1935 Italy 46/210 211 App].No; 488,252

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 10, 1972 Japan 47-5484 [52]US. Cl 46/126; 46/135 R; 46/154; 40/106-132 [51] Int. Cl A6311 7/00 [58]Field of Search it 46/135, 126, 154, 128, 46/148, 210, 118; 40/106-132[56} References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Mack 40/l06.32

Primary ExaminerF. Barry Shay Attorney, Agent, or FirmHil1, Gross,Simpson, Van Santen, Steadman, Chiara & Simpson [57] ABSTRACT A puppethead or the like provided with simulated eyeballs and a simulated lip,both the eyeballs and the lip being pivotally mounted within the head ofthe puppet, and a pair of sheathed wires connected to the pivotallymounted eyeballs and lip and extending beyond the puppet head for remoteoperation thereof for movement of the eyes and lip.

1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures PUPPET HEAD WITH MOVABLE EYES AND LIP ANDREMOTE HAND CONTROLS THEREFOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field ofthe Invention This invention is in the field of puppets, marionetts, orthe like, wherein movement of the eyeballs and the lips is controlledremotely by means of wires.

2. Description of the Prior Art Various types of means have beensuggested for moving or opening and closing the eyeballs or eyelids andthe lips of dolls or other playthings. Such means may include springs.weights, magnets or electrical devices. While such means have been usedfor playthings, they are not readily adaptable to be used in puppetheads for theatricals such as marionette performances because in suchtheatrical. performances it is necessary to move the eyeballs or eyelidsand the lips ofa puppet at different rates of speed so as to produce arealistic effect.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides a device for moving theeyeballs and lip in a puppet head used for theatricals to enable anyonewithout specific talent or training to oper ate the eyeballs and lips ina puppet head with ease. The device of the present invention is simplein construction and is virtually trouble free.

The puppet head of the present invention includes a pair of simulatedeyeballs and a simulated lip. The eyeballs are mounted on pivotal meanswithin the head, and the lip is likewise mounted pivotally within thehead itself. A pair of sheathed wires is connected to the pivotal meanswhich support the eyeballs and the lip, respectively, the ends of thesheathed wires extending beyond the head for remotely controlled pivotalmovement by means of the operator's fingers. The puppet head isconveniently combined with a glove to which the ends of the sheathedwires are secured, with loops being provided to the ends of the wiresfor engaging the fingers of the glove to assist in manipulation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects, features and advantagesof the invention will be readily apparent from the following descriptionof certain preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, although variations and modifications may beeffected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novelconcepts of the disclosure, and in which:

FIG. I is a front elevational view, partially in crosssection, of thedevice of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the device;

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the mechanism in the eyeball portion;

FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the mechanism in the lip portion;

FIG. 4A illustrates the manner in which the wires can be combined with aglove; and

FIG. 48 illustrates the manner in which the loops on the wires areengaged with the glove on the users hand.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1has been applied to a hollow head body containing suitable apertures(not shown) behind which are located a pair of eyeballs 2.

The eyeballs 2 are mounted on a support shaft 3 which is arranged forpivotal movement between a pair of support brackets 16 secured to theinterior of the head. The shaft 3 has an integral semicircularprotuberance 4 disposed midway between the eyeballs 2. The protuberance4 is provided with a central aperture through which passes a wire 5which is the inner wire of a sheathed flexible wire generally indicatedat reference numeral 14. The inner wire 5 is provided with a detent orstopper 6 at one end thereof and another detent or stopper 6 is locatedon the opposite side of the protuberance 4, a short distance from thestopper 6. The distance between the two detents or stoppers 6 and 6' isdetermined by the desired degree of opening of the eyeballs 2.

At the mouth cavity, there is provided a lip support shaft 9 which issecured to the interior of the head by means of eyelets 17. A forked lipsupport including spaced arms 7 and bearing portions 10 are pivotallyreceived on a shaft 9. The ends of the arms 7 are fixedly secured to alip portion 8. The lip support structure includes a semicircularprotuberance 11 through which an inner wire 5 is passed through acentral aperture provided in the protuberance 11. A detent or stopper 12is provided at one end of the inner wire 5', and a second detent orstopper 12' is provided beyond the aperture and the protuberance 11, ashort distance from the detent or stopper 12. The distance between thedetents 12 and 12' is determined by the desired degree of opening of thelip 8.

Both the inner wires 5 and 5' extend through their sheaths l4 and 14'within the periphery of the head portion as best seen in FIG. 2 of thedrawings. At their other ends, the inner wires 5 and 5' are connected toloops l3 and 13' as best seen in FIGS. 4A and 4B.

In operation, as illustrated in FIG. 4B, the operator passes hisforefinger and middle finger into the loops l3 and 13' and then he bendsor stretches his forefinger and/or middle finger to permit the innerwire 5 or 5', or both of them. to slide within the sheath 14 or 14',causing the detents 6 and 6' for the eyeballs 2 to engage thesemicircular protuberance 4 so as to turn the eyeball support shaft 3,thereby turning the eyeballs 2 to produce an eye-opening or eye-closingeffect. Sliding movement of the inner wire 5' pushes the protuberance 11at the fork of the lip support arms 7, causing the lip 8 to turn withthe arm 7 to thereby open or close the lips.

For convenience in operation, the portions of the sheaths 14 and 14'near the loops 13 and 13' may be sewn to the palm portion of a glove 18as by means of a patch 19. This facilitates manipulation more readilythan when fixing the loops l3 and 13' directly on the operators fingers.

A lobe l5 simulating a tongue may be provided on the lip support shaft 9between the tubular portions 10 of the lip support arm 7 and a coloredcloth may be attached to the lobe 15 to enhance the visual effect.

The device of the present invention is capable of producing realisticexpressions of human beings or animals by positively moving the eyeballs2 and the lip 8 of the hollow puppet head 1 with simple and relativelysmall finger actions. Audiences are amused because they cannot readilyperceive how the eyeballs 2 and the lip 8 of the puppet head Imanipulated by the performer are moved so realistically.

having slidable wires therein connected to said first and second pivotalmeans, a glove of a size for receiving the hand of a user, means forsecuring said hollow wires to the palm of said glove and loops securedto the ends of said slidable wires for engaging the fingers of saidglove, whereby said user may manipulate said slidable wires.

1. A puppet head or the like comprising a pair of simulated eyeballs, asimulated lip, first pivotal means within said head pivotally mountingsaid eyeballs therein, second pivotal means within said head pivotallymounting said lip therein, anD flexible hollow wires having slidablewires therein connected to said first and second pivotal means, a gloveof a size for receiving the hand of a user, means for securing saidhollow wires to the palm of said glove and loops secured to the ends ofsaid slidable wires for engaging the fingers of said glove, whereby saiduser may manipulate said slidable wires.